Encouraging Children to Ditch the Screen and Spend Time Outdoors
We are living in the technological age. From adults checking their smartphones to children watching television on their tablets, digital devices have become commonplace in our society. According to Ofcom, a child between 5-7 spends an average of 4.5 hours behind a screen every day.
Despite the many benefits of these inventions, excessive amounts of screen time can lead to a number of eye problems in children, such as near-sightedness and eye fatigue leading to eye discomfort, dimness of vision and headache. To avoid experiencing any permanent damage, children should refrain from spending lots of time behind a screen.
This article will explore some of the ways you can encourage your child to ditch the screen and spend time outdoors. From exciting games to enchanting walks, here are some of the activities you can do together as a family.
Have a picnic and play at the park
What could be more fun than a trip to the park? Come rain or shine, this is a great way to entice your children outside of the home. On warmer days, you can even pack a delicious and healthy picnic to enjoy between rounds on the monkey bars. You won’t need any expensive picnic baskets, just a simple bag will suffice. Of course, you might want to bring a blanket to lay on the floor and avoid those pesky grass stains.
Enjoy the rain and jump in muddy puddles
If the weather isn’t pleasant enough for a picnic in the park, there are lots of other outdoor activities you can do as a family. To make the most of a drizzly day, you can stick to the basics and jump in muddy puddles. This is a classic activity for children and adults alike. All they will need is a decent pair of kid’s wellies to keep their toes toasty and dry – it’s that simple. After all, we can’t change the Great British weather that we’re dealt, so why not embrace it?
Go on an adventure with your pets
Dogs can feel like a member of our families. To take care of our four-legged friends, we need to make sure we’re giving them enough opportunities to exercise. The necessary intensity and duration of this will vary depending on the breed, stretching from 30 minutes to over 2 hours a day. Additionally, there’s nothing stopping you from training a cat to walk with a harness. Either way, this is a fantastic chance to encourage children to go on an adventure and explore the outdoors.
Fly your own hand-made kites
Flying a kite might bring back some nostalgic memories for a lot of parents. So, take the time to share these memories with your children – it is a classic activity for the whole family to enjoy. As long as the breeze is calling, you can fly a kite all year round. To make a day of it, your family can create their own kites out of everyday materials, from yesterday’s newspaper to discarded paper plates. Why not go all out and decorate with paints and glitter? The sky is the limit.
Learn gardening tips and tricks as a family
Your family doesn’t have to go far to enjoy the outdoors. You can learn something new in your very own home. Gardening is beneficial for children of all ages in more ways than one. As well as keeping your little ones busy, gardening is a great way to stay active and burn off excess energy. If you don’t have a garden, you can tend to potted plants and herbs, bringing a bit of the outdoors into your home.
The opportunities for ditching the screen are endless, as are the benefits. Whatever the weather, the whole family can benefit from exploring the great outdoors. That’s not to say screentime is completely bad for children. Some onscreen activities can have educational benefits, as well as being entertaining. After all, everything is best enjoyed in moderation. Which of these outdoor activities sounds the most fun to you?
Sources
https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/how-too-much-screen-time-affects-kids-eyes
https://picniclifestyle.com/50-picnic-ideas-for-kids/
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/
https://www.acraftylife.com/kite-crafts-for-kids-have-fun-outdoors/
https://www.muddypuddles.com/blog/top-5-benefits-of-getting-your-children-into-gardening/
Cover photo By nd3000 on Canva
